Arusha eyes Bangata as tourist attraction

Bangata Falls just outside Arusha could become the latest venue to be promoted by the city as part of efforts to publicise itself as a tourist destination in its own right, rather than being a gateway to the national parks situated in northern Tanzania.

The waterfalls are found in the remote Bangata area, a village high up in Arumeru district about 8km from Ngulelo Junction. Until now the 40m-high cataracts had been viewed in terms of their hydroelectric power potential rather than for tourism purposes.

The waterfalls are not currently on the tourist trail and tend to be visited only by foreign students on field studies or volunteers serving with aid organisations operating in the region.

However, that could change as local community leaders look into developing the waterfall as a tourist attraction. The area's chairman Samwel Ndossi said that the village would begin charging future visitors of the site, and that there were other waterfalls – higher up the mountain – that offered further tourism potential.

The news follows a recent announcement by Arusha mayor Gaudence Lyimo that the city is planning to turn the Kimandolu section of Suye Hill in the city's eastern suburbs into a hippopotamus-populated sanctuary to attract tourists.